Dashboard gasket for coupling a power steering device to the dashboard of a vehicle

A vehicle comprising a passenger compartment intended to accommodate at least one driver,

• the vehicle being equipped with a steering device which comprises a steering mechanism protected by a steering casing, the steering casing being itself housed in a compartment of the vehicle, which is separated from the passenger compartment by at least one bulkhead partition wall,
• the steering device also comprising a steering wheel, located in the passenger compartment, the steering wheel to which the steering mechanism is connected by means of a steering column which emerges from the steering casing and which crosses the bulkhead partition wall,
• the vehicle includes, in order to ensure sealing around the steering column, between the steering casing and the bulkhead partition wall, a coupling seal made of elastomer material which comprises, integrally, a first central sealing ring which surrounds and clasps the steering column and through which the steering column passes across the coupling seal and a second peripheral sealing ring which is interposed between the steering casing and the bulkhead partition wall, at a distance and around the first sealing ring,
• wherein the steering casing being provided with a porous and hydrophobic breathing member, permeable to air but impermeable to water, arranged to allow a pressure balancing between an inside of the steering casing and an outside of the steering casing, the coupling seal comprises, between the first central sealing ring and the second peripheral sealing ring, a vent which passes across said coupling seal in a thickness direction with respect to the breathing member, in order to allow gaseous exchanges between the steering casing and the passenger compartment of the vehicle.

A method for assembling a steering device, comprising a steering mechanism protected by a steering casing, in a compartment of a vehicle, which is separated from a passenger compartment of the vehicle by at least one bulkhead partition wall, the steering mechanism comprising a steering column which emerges from the steering casing and which passes across the bulkhead partition wall to be connected to a steering wheel,

• the method comprising placing, in order to ensure sealing around the steering column, between the steering casing and the bulkhead partition wall, a coupling seal made of elastomer material which comprises integrally, a first central sealing ring which surrounds and clasps the steering column and through which the steering column passes across the coupling seal and a second peripheral sealing ring which is interposed between the steering casing and the bulkhead partition wall, at a distance and around the first sealing ring,
• wherein the steering casing is provided with a porous and hydrophobic breathing member, permeable to air but impermeable to water, arranged to allow a pressure balancing between an inside of the steering casing and an outside of the steering casing, the coupling seal comprises, between the first sealing ring and the second sealing ring, a vent which passes across said coupling seal in a thickness direction with respect to the breathing member, in order to allow gaseous exchanges between the steering casing and the passenger compartment of the vehicle.